The Resurrection of Russell Edgington
by Briana Moreau 1
Summary: A True Blood Season 5 story. Russell Edgington escapes his prison during the witches' resurrection spell and is planning his revenge. What is in store for Eric, Sookie, Bill and the rest of our characters in the great state of Louisiana?
1. Chapter 1

**The Resurrection of Russell Edgington**: A True Blood Season 5 Story

**Prologue**

Sookie Stackhouse's blood still lingered on Eric Northman's lips and tongue even though it had been quite a few hours since he had tasted her that second time. His enjoyment of the flavor was marred by the distinctive smell of charbroiled vampire as he drug the crispy Russell Edgington to the rear of Alcide Herveaux's truck. Raising the door with one arm and holding the thick chain in his protected hand, he leapt easily up into the back of the truck and started pulling on the chain. A groaning Russell, complained even louder as the tension on the chain tightened around his throat, and Eric purposely missed the first attempt so that the other's head hit the edge of the truck rather abruptly.

Eric smiled with satisfaction when Russell started swearing in German and said, "Oh? Did that hurt?"

"You know very well it did," sputtered Russell.

"Good," Eric replied and did it twice more just for the hell of it before lifting Russell into the back, sliding him across the floor. When Russell kept swearing and squirming against the chain, Eric kicked him in the jaw. "Shut up!"

Russell coughed and spat out his remaining fang along with a little blood. Eric knelt down beside him and picked it up. "Excellent!" smiled Eric. "I needed this one for the set. Nan Flanagan and The Authority will be pleased."

As Eric stuffed the detached fang into the pocket of his track suit, Bill hopped into the back of the truck, and Alcide lowered the door, shutting the three in the back. Alcide walked to the cab, climbed in, closed the door and started the engine. The engine roared to life and he pulled away from Fangtasia.

Russell looked over at Bill and said, "So, you've thrown in your lot with the Viking? Couldn't face me on your own? All you had to do was give me the girl. This could all have been avoided."

"Right. You would have just let my progeny and I go free? I don't think so." He looked over at Eric and then back at Russell, nodding in Eric's direction. "I'll take my chances with him."

"Then you are a bigger fool than even I imagined. It's a shame, really, that Lorena didn't finish the task I gave her. I should have known that she would never be able to do it. She had a weakness where you were concerned. Just like you have a weakness for your own child and the delectable Miss Stackhouse."

Eric looked at Bill and drolled, "Don't encourage him further. He likes to hear the sound of his own voice."

Russell continued, addressing Eric this time. "Northman, do you really think you can trust the redoubtable, Mr. Compton? He's a snake, tightly coiled, and ready to strike. He will betray you as soon as the opportunity arises. Like you, he has no honor. He wants the girl as much as you do."

Eric angrily rounded on Russell. "Would you like me to tell you how I seduced your lover? How much he panted for me, opening up for me, so trusting that I would give it to him? How when he was lying naked and face down on your floor, he raised his nice white ass to me, calling me his 'daddy'?" Russell's mouth closed and pursed as Eric continued.

"Just when he thought he'd get the fuck of his life, I stabbed him in the back with your precious Japanese porn scrolls, watching him lose cohesion and become a stain on your oriental rug."

Russell started sputtering again in German and struggling against the chain.

"Then I gathered the trophy that you took after you and your wolves killed my entire family over a few goats. My father's crown."

"I bow to your superior ability not to encourage him, Eric," said Bill with polite southern sarcasm. "Clearly, you have mastered the art yourself."

Eric glared at Bill. They all fell silent.

At the construction site, Alcide opened the rear door of the truck, went to start the cement mixer and started pouring the mix into one of the holes. Eric drug Russell out of the truck. When the area filled up with cement, Alcide showed Bill and Eric how to operate the machinery, watched as Eric tossed Russell onto the top of the cement, and then went to his truck. He was relieved that his family was finally free of Eric Northman.

"Kill me Viking! Take your fuckin' revenge!" Russell yelled at Eric.

"That was the original plan," Northman said. "Then I was thinking... how do I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you won't find some sort of peace afterwards? I can't bear the thought of letting you find any redemption whatsoever."

Then Bill added, "Wrapped in silver. Encased in concrete. You won't be going anywhere for at least a hundred years."

Northman continued, "That's one hundred years with no escape from your grief. No escape from knowing that I took from you what you loved most... and you will never get it back."

He'd warned them that they would regret what they were doing, and they would.

**Chapter 1**

"_How did I escape? With difficulty. How did I plan this moment? With pleasure."_— Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo

When Russell had felt Sookie Stackhouse leave this world, with the cement hardening around him, Russell had laughed thinking that she was dead, pleased that neither Eric nor Bill would have her. It was only fair since they had taken his beloved Talbot from him.

Just over a year later, Russell Edgington had plenty of time to plan his revenge on those who had taken his perfectly well-ordered life away from him. He spoke to himself, non-verbally of course, a long, verbose inner monologue. Finally, he closed himself down to everything until one night... he felt her return.

He found himself wondering. Where had she been? What had she been doing all this time? Why was she back? Wasn't it enterprising of him, unbeknownst to the others, to have slipped her a few drops of his blood in her drink at Fangtasia before he tasted her and walked out into the sun?

As his mind raced, Russell found himself recalling a tale that had amused him when it was first published, "Le Comte de Monte-Cristo." Long suffering Edmond Dantès had been imprisoned on the Château d'If for fourteen years under false circumstances with no trial and nearly driven to madness, trying to discover what he could have possibly done to deserve his punishment. Russell couldn't help but compare his own situation to that of Edmond.

Unlike Edmond, Russell knew why he had been imprisoned, and the targets of his revenge were not Danglars, Fernand, or Villefort. He also did not have a mad priest to talk to unless you counted his remembered centuries of conversations with Talbot. Those conversations haunted him until he thought he himself would go mad, maybe as mad as the proverbial Hatter that Compton had predicted.

Northman! Compton! Stackhouse! He thought back to the last time he'd seen Eric Northman.

Northman had betrayed him, killing his beloved Talbot. He'd tricked him with the fairy blood, encased him in silver and buried him alive. Compton had pledged his loyalty to him, then lied to him, and had helped Eric Northman in trapping him in this cement tomb. Miss Stackhouse had dumped what remained of Talbot down the drain and turned on the garbage disposal. He had nothing... nothing physically left of his precious, precious boy.

Russell had lost all sense of time and no longer knew just how long he had been entombed. Fully awakened now he planned his revenge over the next few days. An odd occurrence took him unawares as he was making his mental list a few days later.

Feeling a rush of air around him where he knew none could possibly exist, he began to tingle from head to toe, feeling energized. He knew he had somewhere he needed to be, and it took over every fiber of his being.

Overwhelmingly strong, he began to find extra strength to struggle against his neck chain. The feeling built that he needed to break free and see the sun. The glorious sun. He had to see the sun again. The beautiful, warm sun that had taunted him, just out of reach, for millennia. "Die sonne!"

Russell could feel the words and the strength building as his body moved of its own accord. He struggled more until he could push up with his body against the hardened cement. He was compelled to escape and look at the glorious sun again. Over and over again, he pushed and willed the mass to move.

"Die sonne!"

Finally he felt it give just a little, then a little more until he had one hand out of the cement. He pushed and pushed until he was able to move the cement from his face and neck and then got his other arm free.

"Die sonne!"

Between his hands and lifting up his legs, he was able to burst free of the cement and supporting rebar and crawled out of the cement, pulling himself toward the exit of the parking garage with the silver still wrapped around his neck.

"Die sonne!"

He had to see the sun again. That was his only thought. As suddenly as it started, the feeling abated, and he was weighted down again by the silver around his neck. How long he lay there he was not sure. He said aloud, "Talbot! My beloved, Talbot. We are almost free." He started laughing maniacally and fell silent.

A shriek tore through Russell's eardrums, an all too familiar one at that, arousing him from a self-induced rest. "Russell! Russell!"

"Will you please stop that caterwauling! You are giving me a headache," said Russell.

"Thank the gods I found you! I've been searching everywhere for you."

"Talbot? Is that you? Are you really here?" asked Russell, turning his head painfully to the side to see a faded version of Talbot standing there with his hands on his hips and a look of exasperation on his face, seeing one of the structure support columns showing through him.

"Yes, of course it is. Were you expecting one of your flea-ridden wolves, you silly man..." Talbot screamed again as he finally noticed what shape Russell was in. "Oh, oh, oh! My dear god, Russell, you are burnt to a cinder and covered in concrete particles! You look worse than that Lorena bitch after Bill set her on fire!"

As Talbot's spirit knelt down beside him, Russell inquired, "How? How are you here?" he questioned.

"It is close to All Hallows Eve. I could not come to you before this. You called my name, and I was able to find you."

"It doesn't matter," said Russell. "What matters to me is that you are here now."

"Look at you, my darling! Look how far you have fallen. I told you that you were a very wicked creature. It finally caught up with you, did it not?"

"Yes, yes, it did. I was careless. Never again."

"Careless? More than careless. You were overconfident. You left yourself open."

"Left myself open? I suppose you didn't leave yourself open when you let Northman have his way with you in my den! He admitted it to me. Even if he hadn't, I saw your clothes strewn about the room when I found what was left of you on the carpet."

"You were never around, Russell! As usual, I had to find my own diversions like I always have. You stupid man. How could you leave me all alone with that sexy, muscular beast, Northman. Why didn't protect me!"

"I gave you everything you ever wanted, Talbot. Everything. Everyone you ever wanted. All of it."

"So you could keep me in a pretty cage and let me out when it suited you? How dare you!" he spat.

"I'm sorry. I foolishly trusted him. Never again."

With that, Russell filled Talbot in on everything that happened since Talbot's death.

"Hush, be still, Russell," Talbot cautioned, then cocked his head. "Someone is coming."

It was then that Russell heard the definite sound of work boots walking across the cement. Closing his eyes, he made himself very still. He heard someone stumble to a stop as a clipboard dropped on the hard surface of the cement, clattering until it settled itself.

"What the fuck?" the construction supervisor exclaimed as he rushed the remaining distance and bent his hefty body down on one knee to turn Russell over. He nearly fell back on his ass when the charred body opened its eyes, fixed on his and locked. He was immediately overcome.

"So nice of you to come along. Would you be so kind as to remove this chain from around my neck?"

"Sure," the man said as he obeyed.

"Thank you," replied Russell when the chain was finally gone. He quickly pulled the man down to bite him and didn't feel his fangs come down.

"Really, Russell," said Talbot. "You can't do much damage without your fangs. You told me Northman had removed them. Are you planning to gum this one to death?"

Swearing silently, Russell asked the man, "Do you have a pocket knife?"

"Sure," he replied as he moved his hand to his pocket and pulled out a buck knife, handing it to Russell.

As Russell flipped it open and raised the knife to the man's throat, Talbot said, "What are you doing? You don't need to slit his throat."

"Why not?" asked Russell, with the knife against the side of the man's throat.

"Think about it. Do you want to draw attention to your escape? The police will be all over this place if a construction worker goes missing. Just take enough to heal your burns. When night comes, we can find someone else to drain. Away from here."

Russell saw the truth in Talbot's advice and said, "Yes. Yes, you are quite right. I can find somewhere else to feed after dark."

To the man, Russell commanded, "Roll up your sleeve and slice the knife across your bared wrist." The man complied, and Russell immediately latched on, drinking greedily.

After Russell had healed the cut, stood and kicked the silver chain into the hole in the cement floor, Talbot added, "You might want to take the knife with you."

Russell glared at Talbot and then glamoured the construction worker.

"You do realize that grey is definitely not your color. It does absolutely nothing for your skin tone. We must get you cleaned up. A long, hot shower. New clothes. A manicure. New..."

"Talbot, I've been in solid concrete for some time now. You can't expect me to snap my fingers and make myself look like the charming fellow that you remember."

"Did you know that you have dried cement in your nostrils?" asked Talbot.

Russell rolled his eyes, and he and Talbot went back and forth with their bickering and banter, waiting until cover of darkness to slip out of the parking garage. He drained two more people after he had gone some distance from his former cell. His fangs had grown back by the second. By the third, he could fly again.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**The Resurrection of Russell Edgington: A True Blood Season 5 Story**

**Chapter 2 **

"_Now I'd like someone to tell me there is no drama in real life!"_— Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo

Exiting through the rear door of Fangtasia, Ginger hauled a bag of trash out to the dumpster, and after depositing it, lingered to smoke a cigarette. After she slipped her lighter back into her pocket, she leaned back against the wall, pulled off her nurse's cap, drew on the cigarette and looked up into the sky. Her skin chilled a bit as her body adjusted to the slight breeze that was cooling her skin after being in the packed bar. She was also still shaking a little from comforting an overwrought Pam, though she thought the nicotine would help settle her nerves. She pulled on her cigarette again, closing her eyes, blocking out everything except the thump of the music in the club and the sound of the protesters on the far side of the building.

She'd never seen Pam as she had seen her tonight. The tough, independent woman that she was accustomed to seeing was gone, and in her place, was a scared, angry, and distraught vampire who was afraid of losing her best friend, father figure, and former lover to a human. More than that, what would this problem between her employers mean for her?

As she blew another string of smoke into the air, Russell Edgington landed with a flourish directly in front of her, eliciting a scream from her.

"Oh, puddin', no need to drawn attention to ourselves. I just want to talk."

Wide-eyed, Ginger answered him, "Wha-what d-do you want?"

His eyes locked with hers and stated, "You are going to feed information to me about the goings on of Mr. Northman and his operations. Everything. You'll be a good girl and do that for me won't you?"

Under Russell's glamour, she replied "Yes, sure, but he's not here."

"Yes, I'm aware of that. Tell me what has been happening here lately."

While her cigarette burned down to the filter, Ginger told him all about the protesters, about Eric's involvement with Sookie, the witch's spells, the trouble between Eric and Pam... everything as Russell listened with interest.

Northman was right. He could glamour her in a heartbeat.

* * *

><p>Russell had wasted no time in working to re-establish himself in the last couple of days. He disliked having to pick the pockets of his victims, but Russell had enough to live on until he could access his bank accounts under his various aliases. After he had found a place where he could hole up and regroup, he went to a mall, purchased a throw away cell phone, charged a laptop to one of his victim's credit cards and spent his time catching up on world events.<p>

"Talbot, it appears the industrious Mr. Compton has overthrown my wife and elevated himself to the position of King of Louisiana."

"Well, well, well. Isn't he the cool one," drawled Talbot.

"He's a putz. The only way he could have gotten that position is if he was in bed with Nan Flanagan."

"That skinny bitch! Who hasn't been in bed with her."

"Just so. Which means... he was spying for The Authority."

"No!" exclaimed Talbot in feigned surprise, pursing his lips a bit as he picked an imaginary piece of lint from his transparent, purple smoking jacket.

"Huh. I wonder what else he has been up to. Time to rally the troops, Talbot."

"What troops? The pack?"

"Yes, them," Russell replied. "But I was thinking... oh, something... more grandiose."

"What or who could you possibly... no, NO! You can't call her in! She is nothing but trouble."

"Yes, I can. She owes me a favor. Two favors now by my estimation."

Talbot threw a string of Greek profanities at Russell, gesturing wildly, as Russell dialed his cell phone.

"This had better be good," a voice spoke on the other end of the line.

"Annie, this is Russell."

Silence.

"Are you there?"

"Yes, of course. I'm just surprised to hear from you. We... we thought you were dead."

"No, no. Not at all. I've just been... detained," answered Russell. "Call what is left of the pack and come to Shreveport. I have some sniffing around for you to do."

"Sniffing. That's all they are good for," said Talbot just under his breath. Russell frowned at Talbot, and Talbot turned, moving away.

"Yes, I'll call them," assured Annie.

"Good. Here's the number where I can be reached."

After Russell gave her the number, he disconnected. It was the first of two calls.

* * *

><p>"Well, this is certainly the height of my evening! Just how I wanted to spend Samhain. Tied to a stake with you."<p>

"My king, you should have anticipated that her spirit might return in this way, especially since you were aware that Antonia was able to return."

"As were you, but then, as you are want to remind me, you are older than I, yet you were ensnared just as easily."

Russell listened to the two of them, Northman and Compton, continue to banter back and forth while he stood in the shadow of the woods outside of Compton's mansion.

"Will you listen to them?" he shook his head.

He watched as Sookie, Franklin's tart, and a third woman exited Sookie's car, and the entire scene that followed their arrival with interest.

Talbot shrieked when Lafayette's head changed to that of the demon and again when the old woman's ghost pulled the witch's spirit from the medium's body.

"Shush! Be still," hissed Russell, more interested in watching his nemeses smoke and burn.

"I will not. You are the only one who can hear me. Why don't you just kill them both and be done with it instead of skulking about in the forest? There are ticks and other bugs out here."

"Really Talbot, what would be the fun in that? A true hunter doesn't chase his quarry. He has the dogs flush them out and send them to him. Besides, I'd rather they suffer as much as I have suffered."

"This isn't a fox hunt, Russell."

"No, it is not. Not at all. In fact, I have a completely different game in mind."

"What would that be?"

"Chess, of course. I haven't yet begun to position my pawns."

* * *

><p>Later that night, Alcide's truck raced down the highway toward Bon Temps as he repeatedly tried to call Sookie and Eric. He also tried Compton's number but all three were going straight to voice mail. "Dammit!" he swore as he threw his smart phone onto the floor of the cab. "Fuck!"<p>

Alcide was running out of options. He'd also tried Sam Merlotte's number since he knew Sookie worked for him, but his number had also gone straight to voice mail. Merlottes was on the way so he'd stop by and see if Sam was there. He might need back up.

Jumping out of his truck when he got to Merlotte's, Alcide immediately smelled another wolf. He followed the smell to the back of the bar and saw Sam watching Luna and her daughter drive away. He also saw the wolf bare his teeth at Sam and called out, "Sam!"

At the sound of Alcide's voice, the wolf looked toward him, then back at Sam, and left silently, disappearing into the woods.

"What are you doing here, Herveaux?" Sam asked as Alcide drew up alongside him.

Alcide, running his right hand through his unruly black curls, said hurriedly, "Never mind the wolf. It's Sookie. I think she's in trouble."

"Aw hell! What now?" exclaimed Sam.

"Come on, my truck's out front. I'll fill you in on the way."

Sam had been fully briefed by the time Alcide's truck screeched to a halt in Sookie's driveway. Alcide had seen Debbie's car hiding in the brush down the drive from Sookie's house as he drove by and now he was doubly worried. What if Debbie was strung out on V again? There is no telling what she would do.

They heard a shotgun blast as they exited the truck. Running to the front door, they banged on it and Sam yelled, "Sookie! Open up! It's Sam."

"Sookie, can you hear me? Open the door!" commanded Alcide.

"Somebody help me!" he heard Sookie shout. Alcide and Sam looked at each other and broke through the door. Sookie cried out again, and they found her in the kitchen cradling Tara's blood-soaked head in her arms, rocking back and forth. Lying on the floor nearby was the body of Debbie Pelt.

Torn between the churning of his stomach over his dead, abjured mate and seeing Sookie in so much pain, the instinct of his kind won out, and he howled his loss to Sookie's ceiling as Sam knelt beside Sookie.

* * *

><p>"What the fuck... ?" exclaimed Lafayette, shooting up out of bed, as he heard the shots, followed by shouting, a door crashing open, and Sookie's cries. He leaned down, reaching under the bed, and pulled out a baseball bat. Clutching his robe together at the neck and the ball bat in the other, he moved stealthily down the stairs. He got chill bumps when he heard the cry of the wolf and sat down heavily on the steps, shaking.<p>

"Get the fuck up!" he told himself. "Sook needs your help."

Lafayette stumbled to his feet and half ran, half skidded into the kitchen, with the bat held at the ready, trying to look as if he wasn't as scared as he actually was. His gut roiled as he looked at what was left of Tara's head and the shock set in. He sank to his knees by Tara's body, releasing his hold on the bat, which clanked back and forth on the kitchen floor linoleum before settling.

"No, no. Not you too. I can't... no... she can't be gone."

Lafayette vaguely noted that Sookie had detached herself from Sam and half-listened as Sookie tried to comfort him about Tara. He took up rocking back and forth where Sookie had left off, holding his arms around himself, but he was unable to concentrate as he watched Tara's spirit sit up out of her body and watched her look around in surprise. She screamed, "This is NOT motherfuckin' happening. No."

She stood up and rushed out through the back door.

"Tara wait. No, don't go. TARA!" cried Lafayette.

Sam looked at Sookie, then at Alcide, and then down at Tara's body and back at Lafayette who, in the meantime, had gotten up and rushed out the door. "Wha... ?"

"It's complicated. Lafayette's a medium. I have to go after him. He's a mess right now."

"Sookie, wait," Alcide entreated. "He'll be fine. Tell us what happened."

"Wait! Tara, no, don't go. Cousin, please, come back!" Lafayette cried as he quickly rose to follow her and exited the house.

Tara's spirit ran screaming and stopped short when she finally heard Lafayette calling after her. She turned around as he caught up with her.

"I'm dead? Why? Why me? She was going to shoot, Sook," asked Tara, pacing back and forth, gesturing her hands, as she spoke.

"Tara, I needs you to shut the fuck up and listen to me. Get back in your body, Hookah. You hear me? You ain't dead if you are still in your body."

"Are you crazy? Did you fail to notice that the back of my head is missing? I'm not walking away from this one."

"I'm going to check with Jesus to see if there is something that we can do to get you back. Now get the fuck back into your motherfuckin' body."

"You know you are out of your goddamn mind, don't you?" she muttered as she went back into the house.

"That was very entertaining," a voice said behind Lafayette.

"Who the fuck are you?" asked Lafayette, turning around in surprise.

"Oh, now, you don't have to worry about introductions, well... except for my friend here. He could use your special kind of assistance."

Lafayette turned to see a spirit smiling back at him and exclaimed, "Hell no." As he backed away from the apparition, and prepared to run, the man who had just spoken to him grabbed him firmly, and the spirit rushed at him, entering him through his mouth. He felt himself fading into the background, almost like he was asleep, and he was so very tired. So very tired. As he drifted, the spirit took him over.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**The Resurrection of Russell Edgington**

**Chapter 3**

Alcide was teary-eyed and his lip was quivering slightly as he looked at Debbie's body on the floor of Sookie's kitchen and only half-listened to what Sookie was saying to Sam.

"She was the crazy Debbie from last year. She was hopped up on something and not thinking straight, blaming me for her problems. Tara pushed me out of the way just as Debbie pulled the trigger. She saved my life, Sam, and I'm never going to see her again." Sam handed Sookie another paper towel, and she wiped her eyes and blew her nose. "I'm going to have to call Jason. He'll know what to do."

"Hold up there, Sookie. Let's sit down and think this out rationally," Sam said as he pulled a chair out for her.

Sitting across from her, Sam asked, "How'd you get the gun away from her, Sookie?"

"I reckon she had a moment of shock at shooting Tara instead of me. I jumped Debbie before she could cock the shotgun again to shoot me too. We struggled. I got the gun away from her, and I shot her."

"So it was self-defense. Then it wasn't your fault, Sookie," said Alcide, turning to face her. "You were right about Debbie. You were just trying to save yourself. She was hell-bent on blaming the problems she and I had on you. She never could accept that all she had to do was look into a mirror and see the cause of our problems. I'm just sorry she singled you out. You didn't deserve this and neither did your friend."

"I have to call Jason."

Alcide replied, "Sookie, I think it would be better if Debbie just disappeared off the face of the earth. She has kin that might come looking for her, and you don't want that kind of trouble. If the law gets involved then her family will know what happened. Weres are big on revenge. I don't want to bring any more shit down on you."

"He's right, Sookie,"added Sam. "It's best if we take care of it. I know a place we can take the body where no one will find it."

"Ok," snuffled Sookie. "What about Tara?"

"I think we should bury the dusky, uh... we should bury her in the woods," said Talbot, coming in the back door, walking very carefully, trying to get the feel of Lafayette's body.

Talbot wasn't sure he could pull off the deception but Russell had insisted. As always, what Russell wanted, Russell acquired. He looked down at the two bodies and all the blood, startled, and then his nose flared as he caught the scent. When his fangs didn't come down, he realized he was in the body of a human. It was all he could do not to drop to the floor and lick but that would be undignified. Not to mention that it would spoil Russell's plans.

"That might be best, Sookie. Folks here will just think she went back to New Orleans," said Sam.

"Maybe. I don't know." She blew her nose again, and a thought came to her. "How come you two happened to be here? What else don't I know?"

Alcide looked at Sam and then back at Sookie. "It's Russell Edgington. He escaped. We were coming to warn you and stay in case he showed up. Since you no longer own your house, he can come and go. You are not safe here."

"Bill said they ended Russell. How could he escape? Where was he all this time?"

"Eric didn't want Russell to meet the true death, so he and Bill buried him in cement at one of my construction sites until recently. Someone must have dug him up. Found out about it today. Just came from the site. I tried to call Eric but he did not answer his cell phone."

"Well, this is just great. Something else they've been keeping from me. Why should I be surprised?" After a moment, she continued, "Do Eric and Bill know he's escaped yet?"

Talbot rolled Lafayette's eyes and tried to look weepy.

"I left several voice mails but haven't heard back from anyone yet."

"That's strange. I was at Bill's earlier and both of them were there. I know they must have felt my fear earlier yet neither one came to help tonight. I guess they took my breaking it off with them poorly."

"You broke up with the vamps?" asked Alcide quickly. Then more slowly, "I think it is for the best."

"This is all very interesting but shouldn't you three start digging that hole for Tara?" All eyes turned to Talbot. "I... I can keep an eye on the bodies," he suggested.

Sookie took in a big breath and wiped her nose. "He's right. We need to get this taken care of. It is going to take all night to clean this up. Would you mind?" she asked Alcide and Sam. "The shovels and what not are in the shed out back."

"Come on," said Sam to Alcide. "I'll show you where it is."

"You should go too, Sookie. You don't need to be around all this blood," suggested Talbot, as Sam and Alcide went out the back door.

"Neither do you, Sweetie. You've been through hell today. Same as me. We've both lost people we loved."

"I know."

"Come on. Sit here with me. We won't really be able to start cleaning until... until things are taken care of."

A sudden breeze whipped Lafayette's robe around Talbot as Russell appeared in the room. Sookie let out a little scream, stood up, picked up the chair and backed up to the sink, holding it in front of her.

"Get out of my house!"

"Now that's no way to greet an old friend, Miss Stackhouse. I thought we bonded so well together at Fangtasia last year. Why, I haven't properly thanked you for saving my life."

"Yes, you did, but all the same, stay away from me or I will hurt you."

_Lafayette, can you hear me? If you can, get that baseball bat. Help me!_

Talbot looked shocked that he could hear her. Maybe it had something to do with the body he was inhabiting. This Lafayette's seemed pretty powerful. He didn't want to but he picked up the bat lying near him and pretended to get ready to use it on Russell.

"Such bravado. I am impressed. You've changed in the last year. Why I do believe I smell both Mr. Compton and Mr. Northman's scents coming from you, along with that delectable fairy blood of yours. Have you been indulging in your baser urges with the two of them? You know they only want you because of your blood."

"None of your business."

"It was a glorious thing to be outside in the sun after three thousand years. Something I will always remember even after you are gone. Well, at least it was fun until it wore off."

"I want you out of my house!"

"Interestingly enough, you no longer own this house. Mr. Northman does. So you can't uninvite me. I can come and go as I please."

"No! No, you can't," she said emphatically.

_Now!_

On clue, Talbot swung the bat at Russell's head. Russell caught it deftly, mid swing, and hung on as he turned toward Talbot. Russell snatched it away from Talbot, tossing it away like a toothpick and grabbed Talbot by the throat for effect, laughing. "That was a pathetic attempt young man," he said as he winked at Talbot. "You are tired. Go to sleep."

Sookie watched Lafayette crumble slowly to the floor, luckily face down with his head landing on his upper arm. She pursed her lips in anger and flung the chair she was holding at Russell. He swatted it aside and started toward her. When he got close, she held out her hand and yelled, "Get! Out!" As she spoke, she unleashed the force of her power, sending Russell into her vintage refrigerator with a resounding thud.

* * *

><p>Outdoors, Alcide and Sam finally heard the commotion and ran back toward the house and saw the kitchen fill with light through the windows. As they dashed through the back door and into the kitchen, they saw and heard Russell laughing as they looked at Sookie and then down at the floor to Lafayette's still form.<p>

Russell continued laughing as he said, "A shifter and a wolf? That's all you have to send against me? I am underwhelmingly impressed."

Alcide and Sam positioned themselves in front of Sookie. "Get out, Edgington. You can't have her."

Russell continued laughing. "What makes you think I am here for Miss Stackhouse? When I want her, she will come to me of her own free will." With that, he moved faster than the eye could register and out the back door.

Everyone took a moment to breath a sigh of relief. Sam said as her hugged Sookie, "You alright, Cher?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just a bit shaken," she replied.

As Sam broke away, Sookie moved to Alcide, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head against his chest. She loved how Sam and Alcide were so warm. "Thank you both for being here."

Sam was kneeling beside Lafayette and asked, "What happened to Lafayette?"

Sookie disentangled herself from Alcide and answered, "Russell glamoured him to sleep."

Alcide glanced over to the bodies on the floor and raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Sook, uh, where's your friend? Tara?"

"What?" she replied, looking at the floor on the other side of the room. "What the hell? How could she be gone? I can't even bury her now? No!"

Sam offered, "I think he took her. The vampire. Maybe the blood got to him."

Alcide said, "I hate to say it but if he's still healing, he might need to feed more than usual."

Sam exclaimed, "Alcide, what the fuck!"

"No! Don't say that! I can't... no! As much as she hates vampires, this would kill her if she were alive. She should never have come back from New Orleans. She only came back to see me. This is all my fault."

"There is nothing we can do about Tara now, Sookie," said Sam. "Alcide and I will take care of the other body."

Sookie's face took on a quiet resolve. "You're right. I can't blame myself."

"I'll go get the tarp in my truck. Be right back," said Alcide.

"Are you okay cleaning up?" asked Sam.

"Yes, yes. I can do this." Then with more conviction, "I got this, Sam and when Lafayette wakes up, he can help."

Alcide came back in with the tarp, and Sookie, Alcide and Sam lifted Debbie's body on to the tarp while Sam collected the brain matter scattered around. Sookie got her cleaning supplies out and started to mop up the blood.

Alcide and Sam were lifting Debbie's body when Sam asked, "Sookie? You got any marshmallows?"

"Marshmallows? Seriously?" she paused, resting a little on the top of the mop handle, as she looked at Sam in disbelief.

"Yeah, marshmallows," he replied sheepishly.

Sookie shook her head and then said, "Top shelf to the right of the sink. Help yourself."

Alcide looked uncertain. "Are you going to be alright, you know, cleaning this up alone? I think you should come with us. It's not safe here."

"I'm not leaving here, and someone needs to clean this up."

"Sookie, you are the most stubborn... "

"You're one to talk," she answered, feeling more like herself and went back to cleaning.

As they walked to the door, Alcide asked, "Marshmallows?"

Outside, Sam answered, loudly, looking up at the helicopter flying low over Sookie's house, heading over the cemetery toward Bill's house. "I'll explain when we get there. I'll get Debbie's car, and you can follow me."

"You seem to know what you're doing."

"Reckon I do. Sure as hell wish I didn't," replied Sam.

* * *

><p>On the other side of town, Russell landed in the woods and was thankful there was still a flicker of life left in Sookie's young friend. He bit into his wrist and forced the blood down her throat. When he had given her enough to heal the head injury, he bit savagely into her throat and drank from her until she was nearly drained. Again, he gave her his blood and then drank from her. He repeated the process a third time and then buried both of them under the ground to complete the process and rest before dawn.<p>

The helicopter that had just flown over Sookie's home, landed on the lawn of the Compton property, and a strike team disembarked and ran toward the mansion to break through the front door. Inside the king's mansion, they searched from top to bottom and found no sign of their targets. Surprisingly enough, the king's office was clean and smelled strongly of lemon bleach and carpet cleaner.

"Stand down," said the team leader to his team. Into his headset, he reported, "Chancellor, there are no signs of Northman, Compton, Flanagan or her team. The place is spotless. The only thing we found was evidence of a bonfire. Do you have new orders for us? Okay, Roger that. We'll keep looking."

* * *

><p>TBC<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

**The Resurrection of Russell Edgington**

**Chapter 4**

While Sookie cleaned up the mess in her kitchen, next door a tall woman with long, curly black hair disembarked from the helicopter after the strike team had secured the king's mansion. Chancellor Salome walked away from the circulating blades that were slowing down as their wind wake played havoc with her hair. Walking with the practiced swagger of a courtesan, she looked around at the mansion that had been returned to its former glory during the previous year, and then climbed the steps, lifting her long black dress up as she went, and entered the lobby. The acrid smell of chopper fuel, human blood, and charred vampire that she had smelled before entering, caused her to wrinkle up her nose in disgust.

She looked around the entryway, dropped the bunched up portions of her dress so that the folds smoothed out along her legs and swirled around her feet. In front of the team, she announced in a thick accent, removing her blue tooth from her ear, "As a chancellor of the vampire Authority, I hereby assume control of the Louisiana monarchy. You will now follow my orders explicitly from this time forth." After a pause she added, "The first order of tomorrow evening will be to clean up that barbeque pit outside. It stinks of vampire flesh. It is almost dawn. Those of you who are human can secure the perimeter and let the rest of us go to ground."

"What of Nan Flanagan? Or Compton and Northman, Chancellor?" asked Officer Smith.

Chancellor Salome smiled but only half of her mouth turned up as she sniffed the air. "Humph. Oh, I suspect we are not going to find Nan or her merry band of soldiers."

"Why do you say that?"

Her eyes narrowed, and she aimed them at Smith. "Because you little twat. You are a relatively young vampire while I am two thousand years old. I know subterfuge when I smell it. Lemon Clorox bleach with just a hint of Nan's Chanel No. 5? I think we can safely assume she has met her true death here tonight. As for our two rats, they can scurry all they want. We shall have them safely ensconced in cages very soon."

Smith turned to leave. "Officer Smith? I want you to invite the vampires of this state to meet here tomorrow night before going to ground. We need to appoint sheriffs for the area since most of the sheriffs have disappeared. Also tell them that they can close their businesses for one night. If they whine, tell them we'll... make them pay," said Salome, and she was not smiling. Not one bit.

* * *

><p>"I think it would be best if we separated," said Eric to Bill as they sped down the highway in one of Bill's vehicles. "It would give them two trails to attempt to follow."<p>

Bill glared at Eric. "Yes, I'm not surprised that you would choose to split up. You can fly away like Superman while I can merely run at super speed and levitate briefly. Good idea. You would make a clean getaway while I would be easily caught and executed."

"That is not what I meant at all. I just helped you clean up Nan and her stormtroopers' remains. If I wanted you 'caught', I wouldn't have bothered. Yet, I stayed and assisted you to protect Sookie... and our own hides. We don't need to be at odds with each other right now. We need allies."

Bill looked sideways at Eric with his lips tight and his habitual tick moving up and down on the left side of his face. "Alright. What do you propose?"

It killed Eric to do it but he confided in Bill. "As you are aware, I have a contact at the Authority. I would like to get in touch with my contact and see if we can get some support from that end."

"Can you trust your contact?"

"Implicitly."

"What about Sookie? She doesn't have us to protect her now, and since you now own her home, vampires can come and go as they please. She can't even protect herself."

"After what she said to us earlier tonight, do you really think she wants our protection? She basically kicked us both to the curb, Bill. She doesn't want either of us. And honestly, she's cultivating her fae abilities quite nicely. I saw her blast Russell across the parking lot at Fangtasia."

"True. She has been developing her abilities. _I_ certainly encouraged her to do that."

Eric rolled his eyes at Bill's pompous self-important comment and was quiet for a bit as he sped along the road. Then he said, "Before Marnie's little surprise, just after dark, I had met with my lawyer and signed papers to return the house to Sookie. She will be safe tomorrow as soon as the deed is filed at the court house and a copy delivered to her. It was the least I could do."

"I'm glad you finally came to your senses in that regard. What about her fear that we felt earlier? I still think she is in danger."

"Yes, I felt it, but it has passed. She is fine."

Eric's cell phone rang for about the fifth or sixth time that night. "Aren't you going to answer that?" asked Bill.

"I didn't answer it the other times because I was helping you clean your office, your Majesty, and cover both our asses," he replied as he pulled his phone out of his jeans and answered. "Northman."

"Eric, where the hell have you been? This is Sam Merlotte. Alcide and I have tried calling you several times tonight with some bad news."

Eric was silent for a moment then said, "Shifter, why isn't the wolf calling me himself."

"He's driving the van. There has been an... incident tonight that we thought you and Bill needed to know about."

"Incident? What incident? I don't care if he is driving, put Alcide on the phone."

"Northman," growled Alcide in his gruff, deep voice. "You stop answering your phone? Been trying to reach you for hours."

"I have been busy with vampire affairs that do not concern you. What was so important?"

"Someone tried to kill Sookie tonight and killed her friend, Tara instead. Sookie took her attacker down but her friend... Tara was taken by a vampire before we could stop him."

"Taken? By whom?"

"Russell Edgington. I called you earlier to tell you that I found he had escaped from his prison."

Eric swerved on the road a bit in shock and saw Bill looking inquiringly at him as Eric slowly swallowed. "How... how is that possible?"

"One of my foremen found the hole in the cement in the parking garage and called me. I went down to the structure myself and saw that it was torn up from underneath, and the silver chains were lying there discarded. I'd never seen anything like it. How could he have the strength to do that after a year? He hadn't fed, and he was encased in cement. And Eric, my foreman had been glamoured."

Clenching his jaw, Eric managed to say, "This is disturbing to say the least. I want you and the shifter to protect her at night."

"Russell Edgington was in her house, Eric. Regardless of your orders, Sam and I had already planned on seeing her safe at night. Maybe if you hadn't bought her home to begin with, she _**would**_ be safe at night in her own home!" snarled Alcide back at Eric.

"See that you do. She has to be protected, and Bill and I are unable to assist at this time."

"Where the hell are you? Why can't you do something about this?" questioned Alcide.

"Vampire business, Alcide, but I will discuss this with the king. Sookie's home should be safe again tomorrow. My lawyer will be filing a deed at the courthouse passing ownership back to her. Russell will not be able to enter without an invitation."

"That's good, to hear. I..."

"Goodnight Alcide," said Eric as he ended the call and put the phone in his jacket pocket.

"What has happened?" asked Bill.

"Russell Edgington has escaped."

"How?" he asked and then he closed his eyes after Eric glanced at him and raised both of his eyebrows. "Resurrection. Marnie's spell must have been enough to allow him to get to the surface even after a year."

"Yes. Which also means he's had time to regain his strength and plan his revenge on us. He also has a hard-on for Sookie. So basically, not only do we have to worry about escaping the Authority, we have to worry about Russell and Sookie."

"If you remember, it was your brilliant idea to encase him in cement in the first place instead of ending his life."

"Don't place this all on my shoulders, Bill. You were perfectly fine with it especially since you planned to end me in the process. By the way, even though you returned my cell phone to me, you tried to have Pam killed, and I lost my assassin. I haven't forgotten that."

"Are we going to relive the old days or are you going to tell me your plan?"

Eric sighed and said, "Well, now that Russell is free, I'm going to have to rethink my plan. So shut up."

"Show a little respect for your king."

"Not in this lifetime," muttered Eric under his breath.

* * *

><p>Lafayette struggled toward consciousness through layers of black, which turned to grey the closer he got to the surface. He opened his eyes and saw a blurry Sookie on her knees, sopping up blood with a rag. As she came into view, he saw the tears running down her face, and remembered what happened to Tara.<p>

"Sookie. Tara? Where she go? Where her body?"

Sookie stopped scrubbing, stood up and went over to kneel by Lafayette. "Take it easy, Lafayette. It's okay. But Tara, sweetie... Tara's gone."

"What... NO! She can't be gone. I told the bitch to go back to her body so I could get Jesus to help fix her. Where you bury her? We gots to get her back. I know Jesus can help."

A sadness came over Sookie as she said, "We can't get her back. Russell Edgington took her body earlier when he glamoured you. Don't you remember?"

"Russell? I... I... don't recall..." A weariness came over Lafayette at the mention of Russell's name, and he moved his hand to his head, knowing there was something he needed to tell Sookie. Talbot awakened inside him and pushed to the surface, making Lafayette feel small, inert and helpless. He found that he couldn't move or speak as the weariness overcame him.

"Russell? Where's Russell?" Talbot demanded as he took back control of Lafayette's body from Russell's glamour and sat up straighter.

"It's okay. He's gone now. Just relax."

Talbot couldn't believe the predicament he was in. How could Russell leave him here? What if he was discovered? At least it was better to be in a body than floating in the aether. He'd had a year to get his fill of that. He looked at Sookie and noticed her looking at him with unshed tears sparkling in her eyes and an odd expression on her face.

"You don't seem yourself, Lafayette. Did you hit your head when you fell?"

"Yes, yes I did," he replied, going along with her misinterpretation of his confusion. "I'll be okay though."

"I hope so. Let me help you up," said Sookie as she helped him to his feet. "Do you feel up to helping me clean up? I could really use the help."

Talbot's eyes went wide before he could sensor their movement. There was no way in hell he was going to help clean this human's house. Didn't she have a servant for that? He affected swaying a little on his feet and said, "Maybe I should go lie down. I'm feeling dizzy."

"Oh. Okay. Do you need help getting upstairs?"

"No, no. I think I can make it. I will give you a shout out if I do. Thanks."

"You do that because I can't take losing someone else I care about," she replied as she looked steadily at her friend.

Talbot was surprised at the sincerity of her words. She really cared about the owner of the body he inhabited.

Walking the short distance to the back stairwell, he climbed the steps to the second level. He opened the doors one by one as he walked down the hall to familiarize himself with his surroundings, and stopped when he got to the bathroom. It was the least he could do to check out the body he was wearing a little more closely. Besides, strangely enough, he felt an urge to relieve himself, and it had been nearly 800 or more years since he had been in a body where that function was necessary. He lifted the lid, released himself and looked downward. It wasn't his cock that he felt in his hands but it was a nice one. Of one thing he was sure as he relieved himself, this was the best piss of his new life.

* * *

><p>TBC<p> 


End file.
